There were times when I was more focused on the numbers than the content itself. I was more interested in how many likes I had instead of who liked it. I realized every time I logged in I looked at those numbers. Why was I caring? Why do I care so much?
— Ben Grosser, a programmer who built a browser extension that erases the number of likes and comments on Facebook posts. The Facebook Demetricator has been adopted by more than 5,000 users since its creation two years ago, according to the Atlantic. In a paper he wrote about how Facebook metrics affected the behavior of the social network s users, Grosser s findings included the following: The numbers led to a hunger for more numbers — users Liked posts that others like; some users deleted posts that didn t have enough Likes. Those who continued to use the tool found it enjoyable that their emotional well-being was restored to some extent, Grosser said.
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